The show must go on: WCLOC at work behind the scenes to reschedule its shows

Richard Duckett Telegram & Gazette Staff @TGRDuckett

Wednesday

Apr 29, 2020 at 12:01 AMApr 30, 2020 at 8:08 AM

If things were normal, the Worcester County Light Opera Company's production of the groundbreaking Tony Award-winning musical "Fun House" would be running right now.

The show will go on, hopefully late September/early October, said WCLOC board member and secretary Lisa Mielnicki.

Another scheduled theater event, four new one-act plays chosen from submissions by numerous playwrights, is going on as planned June 12 and 13. But rather than being performed at WCLOC's home at 21 Grandview Ave., Worcester, the plays will be streamed online by the playwrights in the form of live readings.

Meanwhile, WCLOC, Worcester's oldest active theater company dating back to 1937, spent some time at its last board meeting (held virtually) earlier in April to think about ways it can proceed in the future.

"We want to keep our name out there," Mielnicki said. "We don't want to be stagnant. We want to grow."

The fact that WCLOC was about to stage "Fun House" — based on Alison Bechdel’s best-selling memoir as the musical introduces us to Alison at three different ages, revealing memories that celebrate the curiosity of childhood, the challenges of coming out, and the complexities of family — is indicative that the community theater company has been forward-looking and innovative for a long time. Last year it staged the world premiere of award-winning author and Worcester native John Dufresne's absurdist comedy "Liv & Di."

The 2019-20 season has already seen productions of three of the four scheduled shows — "Between Riverside and Crazy," "The Drowsy Chaperone" and "One Slight Hitch," a comedy by the comedian Lewis Black.

"One Slight Hitch" was staged in February. But a March 21 gala dinner event for WCLOC members was postponed.

Also in March, WCLOC had figure out what do do about "Fun House."

"We decided to postpone and see what was happening in June," Mielnicki said. In April, "Our decision right now is to postpone it until the end of September or beginning of October for our new season. But that's ambiguous, too, because no one knows what is happening. There is so much uncertainty with what we're going to do about state restrictions."

Also uncertain is what WCLOC will do about this year's summer children's workshop, for which the intent is to have the young participants prepare and put on a production of "Matilda Jr. The Musical" based on the Roald Dahl story.

The workshop is supposed to open at the end of June. "Right now that's on hold until the May board meeting," Mielnicki said.

If the popular summer program is canceled it will be the first time that Mielnicki, a long-time WCLOC member, has seen that happen, she said. "The way the atmosphere is right now it doesn't seem likely that we'll be able to do it."

However, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, "Everyone's safety is our first concern," Mielnicki said. "We're just trying to find the best way to keep the arts out there. A lot of it is wait and see."

WCLOC is very fortunate compared to many other theater groups in that it has its own place and theater space at 21 Grandview Ave, home since 1948.

"We have our own building. We're very diligent about cleanliness," Milenicki said.

At the April board meeting, WCLOC looked at ways to bring more people in once the doors open again for shows both as audience members and/or active volunteers and members.

In that regard, WCLOC considered what other comparable theaters across the country were doing.

"Outreach to the community. Be more diverse," were some of the approaches WCLOC liked and has tried to adopt itself, Mielnicki said.

"It's a good opportunity for Worcester County Light Opera Company to get bigger and better," she said of looking ahead.

"Bring different people into the theater. Get people involved working behind the scenes. People coming forth voluntarily — we want to encourage that. For many of us who work full time we don't have time to get things (exactly) the way we want them to."

WCLOC hopes to get the word out. "We're not performing but still involved with theater. We're trying to find ways to make it a bigger community experience doing costumes, running a light board. The focus is to talk, reach out and plan because the physical aspect, the performance aspect, is pushed aside for the moment."

Some comparable theater groups put on seven or eight shows a year, Milenicki noted. WCLOC has staged five-show show seasons, but the usual number in recent years has been four (once upon a time WCLOC staged one major show a season), itself a major undertaking. "Sometimes we do fundraisers. Maybe we'd add another workshop," Mielnicki said.

And the one act-play showcase is another way that WCLOC was already ticking off the boxes. This was is the first year it had organized such an event, Milenicki said.

"I was impressed by how many playwrights came through," she said of the number of submissions." When the planned performances had to be taken off the stage we felt bad. We didn't want to let them down." The chosen authors were contacted about live streamed readings, and the June 12 and 13 online events will be another WCLOC first.

"We'll keep that a yearly thing. Or maybe twice a year," Mielnicki said of the one-act plays

With "Fun House" it could be part of a WCLOC 2020-21 season that hasn't been officially announced yet, as rights to works get finalized but will come with some new and high hopes.

"We have a really ambitious, wonderful season," Mielnicki said.

For more information about Worcester County Light Opera Company, visit www.wcloc.org